Metallic eaileoad tie



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fw S. KETOHUM. METALLIC RAILROAD TIE.

No; 504,066. Patented Aug 29, 1893,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I. s. KETGHUM.

' METALLIG RAILROAD TIE. Patented Aug. 29, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK S. KETOHUM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

M ETALLIC RAI LROAD-Tl E.

EiPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,066, dated August29, 1893.

' Application filed December 21, 1892. Serial No. 455,885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK S. KETCHUM, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MetallicRailroad-Ties; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to metallic ties for railroads and it consists inthe construction and novel combination of parts, hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the sameletters of reference marked thereonindicate the same parts of the invention in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a viewin perspective'of myimproved tie and track fastenerwith a portion of the tracks or rails as they appear secured inposition. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal section of the lefthand end of the tie and rail with the right hand portion broken away asindicated by the broken lines. Fig. 3 is a transverse central section ofthe tie with the rail and fastening device removed therefrom. Fig. 4 isa perspective view of the locking lever removed from the tie, and Fig. 5shows the double wedge-shaped split key, both before and after it isinserted in the tie and its tongue bent to retain it in position.

A is the tie, and it consists of a single piece of metal, preferably ofiron or steel, and manufactured in any approved manner. This tie, A, isconstructed with a longitudinal central rib, B, the crown, b, of whichis circular or elliptical in form while the sides or walls, b b, areapproximately vertical,to form a square bearing for the rail flange andretaining key. The immediate central portion of the tie is cut away toform a recess or opening, 0. A portion of the metal forming'said spaceis left attached at one end to the body of the tie on each side of thecentral rib, B, and is turned downwardly at each end of the opening, 0,to form anchor flanges, c c, which, it will be observed, extend a shortdistance below the base line of the tie and tend to prevent the lateraldisplacement thereof. The side flanges, D D, are bent downwardly andslightly flare outwardly to facilitate com pacting and retaining theballast.

E E are the recesses which form the seats for the rails, and are formedby cutting away a portion of the central raised rib, B, down to theupper face, a, of the body of the tie. This leaves a broad level seatfor the rail, F, the whole width of the tie, and as the recesses, E E,between the rib, B, are about the width of the flanged base, 6, of therail, F, it follows that the spreading of the rails is impossible.

G is the locking lever, the forward end of the under side, g, of whichis beveled to correspond to the bevel of the face of the flange, e, ofthe rail, F, while the head, H, thereof is knee-shaped and the underside is formed with a rabbeted recess, h, as shown, and the contour ofthe top of the head, H, of said lever is similar to the top of therib,'B, while the top, t', of the forward portion of said levercorresponds to the under side, W, of said rib.

K is a double wedge-shaped split key, the main portion or body, k, ofwhichis comparativelyrigid, while the tongue, tapers from the heel, 70to the point, 70, that is to say laterally, and the whole key tapersvertically from the heel, 70 to the point, it being formed with a bevelon top of the body and tongue and a bevel on the outer side of thetongue, while the body, is, is comparatively square. The ties being laidat suitable distances on the road bed, and the rails placed in the seatrecesses, E E, the locking levers, G, are inserted in their retainingrecesses, I, one on each side of therail, so that the beveled end ofeach lever covers the flange of the rail. The key, K, is then insertedand driven home, and in the act of doing this the side bevel of the keyforces the lever in toward the rail and at the same time the top beveledportion of said key raises the head, Gr, of the lever, H, causing itsforward end, g, to impinge more firmly (if possible) upon the railflange.- Itwill thus be seen that this double action of the key producesa double motion of the lever, both forcing it forward and clamping itagainst the flange, thus locking the parts almost as firmly and rigidlyas if the rail and tie were formed of one piece of metal. The key be- 5ing, driven home as above described, the

tongue, 7,2, is bent outwardly as shown, so as to form a shoulderagainst the rib which securely retains it in place. It will thus be seenfrom the above that a track can be laid to rapidly and accuratelywithout the use of 1 5 self-ballasting by reason of the flaring flanges,

D D, and additionally anchored by the aid of the flanges, c 0, still itwill be observed the extreme ends of the tie are left open, as is alsothe space between the anchor flanges, c c,

20 so that should tampiug be necessary it can be accomplished from bothends of the tie and the middle through this means to impact theballasting directly under the rails.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anduseful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

The tie, A, having rib, B, provided with rail seat recesses, E and E,and recesses, I I, in combination with the rail, F, the lever, G,adapted to be inserted in the recess, 1, and lock the rail to the tie,and the split key, K, which, when inserted in the space formed by therabbet, h, in the lever, G, and the recess, 1, will rigidly retain saidlever in place, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK S. KETOI-IUM.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. ENNIS, GEO. D. WYoKoFF.

